In a written statement released Wednesday afternoon, 21st Century Fox said: “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel.”

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As Bill O’Reilly vacations, there are reports that Fox News is preparing to end “The O’Reilly Factor,” and another woman has come forward making a sexual harassment claim against the network’s star. A news clerical worker, who is Black, alleges O’Reilly referred to her as “hot chocolate.”

Attorney Lisa Bloom tweeted about the claim on Tuesday:

I represent a new woman who just phoned in a complaint of sexual and racial harassment against Bill O’Reilly to the Fox News hotline.

Bloom said that the woman claims O’Reilly made lewd sounds and called her “hot chocolate” in 2008.

“He would never talk to her, not even hello, except to grunt at her like a wild boar,” Bloom told The Hollywood Reporter. “He would leer at her. He would always do this when no one else was around and she was scared.”

Three witnesses, who knew the woman at the time, confirmed she was upset and stressed at the end of each workday, according to Bloom. She allegedly did not speak out against O’Reilly’s comments in fear she would lose her job.

Bloom also tweeted:

Like Wendy Walsh, the new O’Reilly accuser who I represent is not asking for money, just accountability. Watch this space.

Walsh, a psychologist and radio host who made appearances on “The O’Reilly Factor,” said O’Reilly reneged on an offer to secure her a lucrative job on the network after she declined his invitation to join him in his hotel suite after a dinner in early 2013.

Fox, its parent company 21st Century Fox and O’Reilly have paid approximately $13 million in five sexual harassment settlements filed since 2004. More than 50 companies have stopped advertising during “The O’Reilly Factor,” following the news of the settlements.

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“Bill, you’re my boss!” a former Fox News producer said in a lawsuit she told Bill O’Reilly when he propositioned her for sex.

Last week, a Fox News spokesperson said O’Reilly is scheduled to return to work on Monday. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, which is owned by News Corp, Fox may be prepared to part ways with O’Reilly.

His future at the network could be decided within the next few days. The board of 21st Century Fox has a meeting Thursday, and it has not yet finalized an exit agreement with O’Reilly, people close to the situation told the newspaper.

Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color Of Change, told DiversityInc last week that the online civil rights group with more than 1 million members has been specifically targeting corporations who advertise on “The O’Reilly Factor” to boycott the show.

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TV host Bill O’Reilly announced he is taking a vacation, but Rashad Robinson of Color Of Change said, “This is a PR thing that media outlets try to do to stifle the energy of a campaign like ours.”

Robison said that he didn’t believe O’Reilly’s vacation had been planned since October, which a Fox News spokesperson said.

“For [O’Reilly] to go on vacation in the middle of all of this is exactly the type of PR thing that media outlets try to do to stifle the energy of a campaign like ours,” he said.

Rupert Murdoch controls 21st Century Fox, and his sons, James, 44, and Lachlan, 45, also hold leadership positions. According to Reuters, the O’Reilly scandal at Fox News could hamper the Murdoch family’s desired purchase of Sky, a broadcasting company in Great Britain.

British regulators are looking to see if the Murdochs are “fit and proper to own the entirety of Sky.” The last time the family attempted to purchase the network, after the British hacking scandal, there were concerns that the Murdochs had too much influence in Great Britain.

Amid the new sexual harassment allegation, O’Reilly’s attorney Marc E. Kasowitz said in a statement on Tuesday:

“Bill O’Reilly has been subjected to a brutal campaign of character assassination that is unprecedented in post-McCarthyist America. This law firm has uncovered evidence that the smear campaign is being orchestrated by far-left organizations bent on destroying O’Reilly for political and financial reasons. That evidence will be put forth shortly and is irrefutable.”

14 comments

Do you think that when black people and others called Washington DC the chocolate city that it is offensive? For decades Washington, D.C., was known affectionately as “Chocolate City” to many black Americans. I can see how Hot Chocolate can be construed as offensive and harassing behavior but O’Reilly should have been gone a long time ago anyway. .

I think it’s all contextual. If the comment is coming from an old horn dog, who is a superstar in an organization that is run by fat ugly lecherous old men who harrass every woman they’ve ever known and are 100% white men, and have gleefully perpetuated slander against our first Black president, and endorsed the fake billionaire birther king, then being called “hot chocolate” probably makes you puke.

Language that might be acceptable or even endearing as pillow talk, and possibly borderline okay in flirtation, nonetheless had no place between a powerful boss (of a different color) and a Black subordinate with whom he has no relationship other than one of power over her.

I am a retired attorney and former member of the judiciary. I have also been actively involved in EEO litigation for the past 14 years. While there is such a phenomenon as “nuisance settlements” — in which payouts are made to settle cases that are unfounded, frivolous or otherwise of dubious merit — payments totalling $13 million to 5 plaintiffs would not be considered “nuisance settlements.” To the contrary, multi-million dollar payments in cases of this nature — so-called “he said/she said” situations — suggest that there was considerable substance to the allegations.

O’ Reilly is a poon hound used to strutting his stuff and getting away with what others would have been fired for long ago. He’s an irrelevant piece of dog poo and should go join hands with his mentor Ailes. Their day has come, they’ve made their money, now it’s time for them to step aside.

Nice to see O’Reilly was finally made to go—but that’s a corner he painted himself into. I think the main reason he was finally let go was because so many sponsors had dropped their advertising from his show, and so for the first time he was actually losing money for Fox, instead of making it hand over fist as usual. He was nothing but a loudmouth racist,sexist blowhard like trumpf anyway—no wonder they like each other—they’re both the same, pretty much. He wanted to claim that the lawsuits against him were frivolous, yet he’s settled at least 5 of them in the past decade. I remember hearing all about his first one in 2004. The thing is, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I don’t believe all these women are making these harrassment claims up–there’s clearly something to them,or he wouldn’t have settled.

The disrespect shown to long time, highly respected civil servant, Maxine Waters indicated Bill O’Reilly’s opinion of women. The laughter and discussion by him and some of his peers is the result of years of “white privilege”. The net result is unfounded, non productive arrogance and abuse. This is the tip of the iceberg for him and other “Christians” who disobey the greatest commandment of ” loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And, loving your neighbor as yourself.” I pray that his racism and arrogance will be replaced by a repentant heart..Instead of saddness for losing the show, thank God for the warning and like all of us should, search yourself, God is speaking! Listen while you have the chance,”repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”